Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-03-25
PILOT JR.

have been produced in this country can
be directly traced either to imp. Messen-
ger, Justin Morgan, imp. Bashaw, or to
some member of the pacing family. One
of the most distinguished trotting pro-
genitors from the last-named source was
Pilot Jr., represented by the accompany
ing illustration. whose sire was Old
Pacing Pilot, his dam being the gray
mare Nancy Pope, whose breeding has
been the subject of some little discussion.
Old Pacing Pilot was compactly-bult
and very muscular black stallion, some
thing less than Is hands in height, with
plain sensible head neck of medium
length and a trihe heavy in the throttle,
good shoulders, strong back. sloping
rump, long, powerful quarters, low-set
hooks. and heavy wavy name and tail
OF his origin and breeding nothing def
mite is known, but it is generally sup
posed that he was bred and raised in
Canada.
His history dates from his appearance
at New Orleans about 1892, where report
says he was first discovered in the hands
of a Yankee peddler. although it is
claimed by some that he had spent a sea-
son or two in Kentucky prior to that date.
He was wonderfully speedy little fell
low, according to accounts of those who
knew him. and by whom he is credited
with having paced mile to saddle, car
rying man weighing 165 lbs, in ? :26.
His speed does not appear to have been
utilized for turf purposes, however, as
the records fail to show that he ever
started in public race.
Major O. Dubois induced the peddler to
part with Pilot about the date above
mentioned, his age at that time represent
ted as six years. After keeping him a
short time Major Dubois sold the horse
to ID. lIensohn of Louisville. Ky, who
kept him for stock purposes until Pilots
death, which occurred in 1853. Several
of his get were quite speedy, three of
which. all PAGERS. gained some reputation
upon the turf. These were the roam gel
ding Roanoke. which won record to
saddle of , ~ -, and to harness of
2:2G, the black stallion Niger Baby
! (2:3G). and Tom Crowder PAD, Sew
eral of his sons proved their ability to
transmit speed, the most celebrated of
which by far was Pilot Jr.
The dam of Pilot Jr. was good-sized
gray mare, bred by W. II. Pope of Ken
lucky, and finally sold to Il. A. AleXan-
der of WOODBURY. Farm. to whom she was
represented as a daughter of Havoc, by
Sir Charles, by Sir Archy. Mr.. j. II.
Wallace contends, however, that Nancy
Pope was by a large, coarse farm horse
of unknown breeding, and bases this
claim upon the statement of Mr.. Edmund
Pearce, a gentleman in good standing,
who lived in the neighborhOod where the
dam of Pilot Jr. was raised, but depends
wholly upon memory for his version of
the events which occurred something like
half a century ago. A board of censOrs
who investigated the matter also agreed
with Mr.. Wallace, and the mare is now
registered as of unknown breeding.
All the evidence on both sides has been
given to the public, however, and there
are still those, credited with fair udg-
ment, who have given the matter careful
study, and believe that Mr.. Pearce's
memory concerning the year Nancy Pope
was foaled was at fault, as it seems to
have been in regard to the color of the
horse Havoc. These parties are still of
the opinion that Nancy Pope was by
Funk's Havoc, son of Sir Charles, as
was represented when Mr.. Pope, her
breeder, was living, and was not contra
dicted by him, as would most likely have
been the case if Incorrect The dam of
Nancy Pope was a fine saddle mare.
Pilot Jr was well-shaped, fine-look-
ing gray animal, standing about 10 -
hands, bred by Augereau Gray, and
foaled in 1914, the property of John L.
Gray of Graybolt, Jefferson county, Ky.
Although his sire was PAGER and his
grandam saddle mare, Pilot Jr. himself
was natural trotter, and was claimed
to be quite speedy, but, being highly
priced as stock horse, he was probably
never given an opportunity to distinguish
himself as turf performer. When four
years old he was bought by ID. Heinsohn
of Louisville, Ky, who then owned his
sire. Pilot Jr was soon afterward pur-
chased by r. a. Alexander, one of the
most successful breeders of trotting stock
in Kentucky, and owned by him until
April IA, 1865, when the horse died at
Montgomery, H., where he had been
sent for safety, owing to the unsettled
state of affairs then existing in Kentucky.
Pilot Jr. was probably used for stud
service at an early age. In his five-year-
old form he produced the trotter Pilot,
which was the first of his get to reach
the 80 list, a feat that he accomplished
at Providence, r. L., Sept. Z, 1859, plac-